The article discusses how San Francisco's housing crisis is exacerbated by property owners opting to rent land to Waymo for electric vehicle charging stations instead of developing much-needed housing. At least 600 housing units are stalled as properties like 777 Harrison Street and 350 Pacific Avenue are repurposed, highlighting a significant tension between immediate profit from charging rentals and long-term housing needs. Experts suggest that the ease of generating income from autonomous vehicle uses weighs heavily on developers, complicating the already challenging landscape for new housing construction in the city.
Developers are choosing to rent out land for charging stations rather than starting potentially lengthy housing construction processes, contributing to San Francisco’s housing delays.
The convenience of generating immediate income from EV charging stations is outweighing the challenges of developing housing, as articulated by UC Berkeley's Michael Montilla.
The Chronicle analysis indicates that important sites for housing development are instead being repurposed, with some properties submitted for housing applications serving other purposes for Waymo.
Waymo's use of housing sites as storage or charging stations is complicating the already slow housing growth in San Francisco, raising concerns about future construction.
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